by Brynn Hooton-Kaufman, Phycology Lab

I think it’s about time that I tell you about my adventures at Moss Landing Marine Labs.  I’m deep into my third year of grad school here, and I have yet to write a blog.  Well, things are about to change.  I want to share with you what it’s like to SCUBA dive in the Monterey Bay Aquarium, chase down an invasive seaweed in the harbor, and hike through ink-black caves for class.

Lots of experiences got me excited about science and ecology, and helped prepare me for graduate school.  You can read about the path I took to get to graduate school and all of its amazing opportunities in my student profile.  There I share my experiences working for the California Department of Fish and Game, and as a lab tech in the Wetland Ecology Lab at UC Davis.

You might be wondering why I’m chasing down an invasive seaweed in the harbor.  For my thesis I am investigating how native fishes and other organisms use the invasive Asian kelp Undaria pinnatifida for habitat in central California.  In my profile I explain why this topic is important to me, and in future posts I will tell you all about what it’s like to dive in Monterey Harbor to collect Undaria and other critters.

That’s all for now, but check back often for new posts, and thanks for letting me share my adventures with you!